Massachusetts College Investigates Anti-Semitic Incident

“I want to assure you that they will not deter us from our commitment to stand together against hate and bigotry.”

Hampshire College, in Amherst, Massachusetts, is the next school being targeted by anti-Semitic hate crimes. They have launched a criminal investigation into what the school’s administration calls “an act of blatant and deplorable anti-Semitism.” No other information about the incident has been released, and there is an ongoing investigation of the matter.

Hampshire College President Jonathan Lash said in a message to the campus community that the act occurred in a residential area on Tuesday morning.

Lash stated that the Hampshire College community has been subjected to acts of anti-Semitism over the last few years.

“We can and we must be better than this,” Lash said. “Other incidents have gone unreported, which inhibits our ability to respond, to investigate, and to offer support. These are acts of cowardice intended to intimidate and hurt all of us. But I want to assure you that they will not deter us from our commitment to stand together against hate and bigotry. They do not reflect who we are as a community of learners. They do not represent our shared values.”

Hampshire College will be holding a panel discussion on anti-Semitism this coming Tuesday, which was scheduled prior to this incident.